


Shadows

by itsmcs



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-11-23 10:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11400864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmcs/pseuds/itsmcs
Summary: *set before Alex and Maggie meet*One day, Alex is taken by Cadmus.2 years, 7 months and 23 days later, she returns.A shadow of the person she once was, Alex can't quite face her past life yet.Instead, she finds a job at the NCPD.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Exams are over and I have a lot of spare time on my hands so why not dedicate that to writing a fanfic? Go easy on me, I'm not a serious writer and this is just for fun! Hope you enjoy

It had been a routine mission - a mission Alex had done a hundred times. She had even persuaded Kara not to come along, and so as it took place, Supergirl had been training under the twisted safety of the DEO Kryptonite emitters.

"It's fine, Kara. Stay." Alex had told her. "I'll be back before you know it."

Only she wasn't.

Kara had known something was wrong from the moment J'onn walked into the training room. He walked with an air of defeat, shoulders stooped, nursing a scar on his forehead, but the real giveaway were his eyes. His eyes, clouded with a dark despair, told Kara everything she had never wanted to hear.

"Where's Alex?"

"Cadmus took her."

For months afterwards, Kara barely slept. She barely ate. She dedicated every moment into searching for her sister; into listening for that one heartbeat.

Time and time again, she failed.

She blamed herself. She was Supergirl, and yet she couldn't use her powers to find the one person who had always been there for her; the one person who showed her the meaning of home.

J'onn blamed himself. He was a Martian who could read minds; who's powers could beat even the strongest human and yet he couldn't save someone he had come to love as a daughter.

Winn blamed himself. He was an IT genius, and yet he couldn't use his skills to find someone who put the light into his best friend's eyes; who, while he would have refused to admit this before it happened, had become an older sister to him, too.

Even as the battle against Cadmus grew heavier, and both sides experienced more and more losses, Alex could not be found; and Kara was lost without her.

It was thanks to Winn that Cadmus was eventually defeated, and over the next few weeks, Kara flew from base to base - scouring every inch of the abandoned land and buildings which Cadmus had owned. Still, nothing.

It was a cold, October evening when Kara Danvers gave up. She was standing in the middle of her apartment, her mind racing with unwanted thoughts, when she caught sight of a picture she had looked at a thousand times, perched against the clock on her bedside table. It was a photo of her and alex, laughing, and while it had brought her so much happiness before - this time was different. She never thought that it could bring her so much pain. At that moment, Kara Danvers sunk to the floor, and broke. As she lay there, finally comprehending the idea that she may never get her sister back, wretched sobs wracked her body. For hours, she cried, and cried, and cried. For days, she refused to leave her bed. For weeks, she refused to talk. For months, she didn't smile. It took over a year, and friends who refused to leave her side, to bring back some of Kara's light.

It was diminished, but it was something - and as James, Winn, and J'onn told Kara, Alex would not want her to have lost her light.

2 years, 7 months, and 23 days after Alex disappeared, she came back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter, (well, prologue!) I definitely was not expecting to see kudos and comments, so thank you so much!  
> (I promise Maggie will be introduced soon.)

Alex had been called many things over the years. When she was younger, her parents had called her Alex, Lexie, Al, Ally. Alexandra, if she had misbehaved. Kara – a creature of habit – hadn’t strayed from Alex. Over the past 2 years, 7 months, and 23 days, she could count the number of times she had heard her name from someone else on two hands.

There were times when she would sit, burying her head in her knees so not to let her mind escape her body, repeating her name; over and over.

_Alex. Alex. Alex. Alex. Alex. Alex. Alex._

She kept on until the words blurred together and suddenly she forgot why she was speaking at all. It wasn’t the pain which broke Alex. It was the loneliness. It was the madness which gnawed at the corner of her mind; the voices.

It was dark when Alex stumbled onto a National city sidewalk. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the gravel, pressing her face against the stones in an attempt to ground herself as she spun in and out of consciousness. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours – she had lost all concept of time – before Alex was able to force herself upwards and open her eyes. Then, she laughed. It was a humourless sort of laugh and it left her throat raw, but Alex couldn’t remember the last time she had felt even a wisp of relief; so she let it happen.

The street was almost deserted, save from a rat scuttling over a drain nearby, and - apart from a persistent dripping from a leaking drain above her - the only sound Alex could hear was the gentle roar of a plane engine overhead. It took her back to the evening Kara came out as Supergirl. She remembered swallowing down the panic as the plane dipped, gaining speed, the heat from the flames washing over her. She worked at the DEO, so of course she had experienced fear before, but she had never felt helpless.

Alex felt helpless a lot after being taken.

As the sound of the engine faded into not much more than a hum, Alex took a deep breath, and forced herself to stand. For a moment, she leant against the wall for support, her head throbbing and her body aching, but she knew she had to move.

Kara. She had to find Kara.

As Alex limped through the streets of National City, she couldn't escape the unease which manifested itself in her gut. She didn't know exactly how long, but Alex knew she had been away for a long time. Had they stopped searching for her? Had they given up?

Kara.

The familiarity of climbing the stairs to her sister's apartment felt unfitting as Alex ran her hand along the wall, marking it with dirt. It was almost overwhelming, and as she got closer, it felt as though Alex was wading through something. Her heart began to pound, threatening to burst out of her chest, and the blood rushing through her ears was deafening. When she finally reached the door, she stopped. Was Kara even still living there? What would she do if she saw her? What-

"Excuse me, are you going to knock?"

Alex staggered backwards, before taking in the person standing in front of her with wary eyes. It was a girl - she couldn't have been more than seventeen - clutching 3 pizza boxes, stacked on top of each other.

"I, um, I-"

Alex couldn't think, she couldn't speak; she was in defense mode. The girl seemed doubtful and took an almost unnoticeable step backwards, regarding Alex with nervous, beady eyes. Suddenly self conscious, Alex crossed her arms in an attempt to shield her state.

"Are you okay? Do you, um, need me to call someone?" The girl asked.

"I - no." Alex took a last, longing look at the door. "Sorry, wrong apartment."

Without giving the girl a second glance, she hastily pushed past her and hurried back down the stairs. In the background, she heard a knock. Then, as she rounded the corner, she heard faint voices.

"Three pizzas for Kara Danvers?"

Alex froze.

"That's me! Thank you."

Alex couldn't breath.

The door shut and the sound of the delivery girl's footsteps grew louder.

Alex ran.

She ran until she couldn't run anymore. It was then that the gravity of what had happened slammed into Alex at full force. Everything had changed. Was this even home anymore? Did she have a home? _Did she deserve to have a home?_

After attempting to gather her thoughts, Alex went to her old apartment. She was sure someone else would be living there by now, but she had to see it for herself. However, peering in through a window, she almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. Everything was the same; right down to the bananas sat in the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. Both physically and emotionally exhausted, Alex pulled the window open - surprisingly unperturbed that it hadn't been locked - and collapsed onto the couch. She was asleep in seconds.

Alex jolted awake at the sound of keys scratching at the lock in the door. For a moment, she was set off guard by the sheer scale of brightness pouring in through the window. However, as the scratching was suddenly followed by a click, Alex quickly pushed herself off the couch and scrambled into the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind her but leaving a gap just large enough so that she could see what was happening.

She almost wished she hadn't. She hadn't prepared herself for this moment.

Her sister looked almost the same as Alex remembered, her face youthful and her honey hair tugged back into a low ponytail - except from the dark circles beneath her eyes. She looked weary, as though she hadn't slept in days, and Alex just _wished_ she could bring herself to push the bathroom door open and reveal herself. She had told herself so many times that it would be okay; that when she made it back to Kara, she would hug her and everything would be better. However, watching the defeated sigh Kara gave, Alex knew that wasn't true. She wasn't ready to tell Kara what had happened to her; what she had done. She wasn't ready to carry Kara's emotional pain as well as her own. As much as she wished she could be, and as much as she wished being back with her sister would heal everything, it wouldn't. Besides, if she spoke to her sister, she was sure that the guilt she had become all too familiar with would eat her alive. Kara was better off without her.

So instead she watched, her heartbeat pulsing in her ears, as Kara surveyed the apartment, a small frown etched into her features. Her gaze lingered for slightly too long on the couch, and Alex froze as she watched her move a hand to her glasses. She was going to use her X-ray vision, Alex realised.

It was then that a shrill ring echoed through the apartment, and Alex winced. Kara looked flustered by the interruption, but moved her hand from her glasses to pull out, and answer, her phone.

"Yes... yes. Okay. I'll be there as fast as I can."

Kara glanced at the apartment one last time, and then shook her head. A moment later, the room was empty again. Alex let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and turned and leant against the wall. It was at that moment that she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

The first thing she noticed was that her hair had grown. While before her auburn locks had framed her face, they now hung limply below her shoulders. The next thing she saw was how lifeless she looked. Her face was harrowed, her cheekbones sharp against fragile, porcelain skin. Her eyes were framed by dark shadows, and her body was riddled with scars. She was wearing tattered shorts and a ragged shirt, both spoilt by dirt and blood. No wonder she had frightened the delivery girl. She probably would have frightened Kara, too, if she'd been found.

Maybe Kara wouldn't have recognised her. She barely recognised herself.

Alex sighed, deeply.

 _I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._  
  
She wanted to leave as quickly as possible so she wouldn't risk running into her sister again, but she knew she couldn't walk into broad daylight like this. So, for the first time in years, Alex took a long, warm shower. For a while, she stood and stared at the drain, head tilted as she watched the grime from her body run off her feet and disappear with the water. While it stung her wounds, it was a good pain. It was a pain which said: I'm free. When she had finished, Alex found an old pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt from her wardrobe, and finished the outfit with a leather jacket. She was still a changed person, but when Alex looked in the mirror, she felt as though she was regaining a small sense of normality.

 _I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._  
  
She then took out a wad of money from the hidden compartment beneath her sink, and slid it into her jacket pocket. The money was enough for her to buy some food and stay a week or so in a hotel; well, she hoped it was, anyway. She'd have to find a job if she wanted to pay for more. 

Alex looked around the apartment one last time to check that she hadn't made it too obvious that someone had been there, and then climbed out of the window and scaled the rusted ladder.

After buying some food, Alex took a seat on a bench. National City in daylight was a sight she never really believed she would see again; it was an image she sometimes saw in her dreams, but then it would twist and warp and suddenly the clouds would rain blood and the buildings would crumble.

She hoped that wouldn't happen now. She _could_ do this.

Couldn't she?

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a ridiculous amount of writer's block writing this chapter. I hope it's half decent anyway! I will try to update as often as possible, but my updates may vary depending on how much free time I have. (also I know nothing about what you need to have a job as a cop, and I'm sure this isn't how you'd get one but it's a story so I'm just gonna use my artistic license)

_It had all happened so quickly._

_One moment, Alex had the upper hand; in the next, three armed men had appeared from nowhere. One of them twisted her arm behind her back, while the other grabbed at her feet, lifting her off the ground. She struggled, kicking vehemently against his grasp, until the third dug the cold barrel of a gun into her chest._

_"Don't. Move."_

_Alex stilled. In the distance, she could see J'onn battling a huge creature; its talons sharp and its moulding skin hanging from its bones as it growled in repulsion and charged forwards. It was then that the men began to move, dragging Alex along with them; away from the monster, and away from J'onn. In protest, she spun, legs kicking wildly towards the gun and sending it spiralling into the air. She leapt up, fists hitting flesh with distinct accuracy, leaving the men reeling in pain._

_But Alex was outnumbered. She could deal with the first hit; in response she whipped around, cracking her boot into the man's chest. But then came another from behind; and another. It ended when the butt of a gun came crashing down into her skull, and she dropped to the ground; a deadweight._

_She woke up in a darkened room. A sharp pain pulsed through her head, and when she brought her fingers to it, they came away spotted with blood. Grimacing, Alex pushed herself upwards so she could lean against the damp stone wall, but the affliction made her sluggish and drowsy, and she could only watch through blurred vision as the door swung open._

_Lillian Luthor looked smug as ever as she strode forwards, heels clicking against the floor._

_"Alexandra Danvers. How nice to see you. Now, we're going to have a nice, long conversation - all about your sister."_

Alex woke with a start. At first, she wasn't sure where she was, but then she remembered she had booked herself into the cheapest hotel she could find the previous evening. She sighed, untangling the sheets that she had somehow managed to twist around her body in her sleep. The clock read 8:17 am, and a thin strip of light was leaking into the room through the gap in the curtains. Swallowing the thick ache of apprehension that the nightmare had left, Alex climbed out of bed.

 

Half an hour later, she was wandering through National City. Occasionally, she'd catch sight of a sign in a shop window asking for new workers, but she couldn't bring herself to follow up on any of them. Alex Danvers wasn't a people person, and she had no intention of spending her days dealing with customers from behind a counter. After two hours of unsuccessful strolling, she found herself in an alleyway near the edge of the city centre. It was then that a scream sounded from around the corner, and Alex took off running, slowing only slightly in order to brace herself against the sharp turn. As soon as she rounded it, she saw a woman standing in the middle of the sidewalk, her arms flung up in despair.

"He - he took my bag!" She practically wailed.

Her feet ahead of her mind, Alex began to chase a retreating figure down the street - stopping only the throw the woman a cheap, almost useless phone she had bought the day before.

"Call 911!" She called out as she ran.

The man was able to bolt two blocks before Alex was close enough to leap onto him, slamming him against the ground and sending them both tumbling. She was up again first, the hot trickle of blood past her eye and down her cheek neglected as she grabbed the bag and straddled the man, using her arm against his neck to keep him down.

"Not so fast." She heaved, regaining her breath.  

After a few moments, the alleyway was suddenly bathed in flashing lights of red and blue, and Alex climbed off the man. He was glaring up at her, his eyes dark and his mouth fixed in a snarl, as two cops approached. Their guns raised, they barked orders at the criminal, and Alex took a step back. She wiped the blood from her cheek with the palm of her hand and watched as the taller of the two handcuffed the thief and led him towards their car. When the smaller cop moved towards her, Alex unconsciously took another step back - right into the wall. The woman in front of her chuckled, revealing dimples, and placed her gun back into its holster. She then shook her oversized police jacket back into place, and spoke.

"That was a pretty impressive save." Her voice was smooth and sweet; like liquid honey.

"I- thanks."

The cop then tilted her head.

"Detective Maggie Sawyer. It's nice to meet you." Maggie held out a hand, and Alex took it.

"Alex Danvers. You too."

Pulling back her hand, Maggie leant forward. "That's a nasty cut you've got there. We have some medics down at the station who can check it out, if you like."

"Oh, no, it's fine." Alex had dealt with much worse.

"Look, it will save you from going to the hospital. It'll probably need stitches." Again, Alex opened her mouth to decline, but this time nothing came out.

"You coming, Maggie?" The other cop called out from inside the car.

"Just a minute! So, what do you say, Danvers?"

 

It's safe to say that this was not how Alex had been expecting the day to go. After having her cut checked and stitched up, Alex was now incredibly lost. Maggie had been called away whilst the doctor was attending to her, so she had no one to help her as she attempted to navigate the maze of long, grey corridors. Why were they so empty all of a sudden? This was familiar - all too familiar.

_The gashes painting Alex's body throbbed as she ran, burning against the cold air as though they were sliding past sandpaper. Her body ached and she felt as though she had been running for hours, when in reality it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. A few, crucial minutes. She had to find an exit. Why did all these hallways look the same? They seemed to be endless, and as Alex sped through more and more monotonous grey passages, her hopes for escape began to wither. Suddenly, Alex turned a corner and skidded to a halt. Ahead of her lay a long flight of stairs; so long that the light pouring in through the window at the top was a pinprick against the shadows._

_She could hear footsteps now, pummelling against the ground behind her; and the sounds echoed threateningly. So she took off, taking the stairs three at a time, pouring every ounce of energy she had left into reaching the top._

_The footsteps were closing in, and shouts ricocheted of the narrowing walls, filling her ears and cloaking her senses. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't see; she just ran. Suddenly, a hand seized her ankle, and Alex plummeted._

"Danvers?" Maggie's voice cut through the vision. "You alright there?"

No, she wasn't. It was like she was back. There. _Couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't see._ She sunk to the floor, her throat constricting as she desperately tried to gulp in some air. As Alex's head spun, she felt as though the ground beneath her was collapsing and dragging her down with it.

 " _Hey._ Alex. You're okay."

Alex could feel her presence, kneeling beside her. Hesitantly, Maggie touched a hand to her shoulder.

"I'm right here, Alex. I'm right here."

Gradually, Maggie moved the hand to Alex's cheek, before gently guiding her eyes towards hers. Alex thought she might get lost in them. Slowly, she could breathe again, and the weight that had been promising to crush her chest began to lift.

"Are you with me?"

"Yeah." Alex nodded slowly, her chest rising and falling.

"Come on, let's get some air."

 

Maggie guided them a few blocks away from the station and towards a park, perching on a bench and beckoning for Alex to join her. She didn't talk; instead, Maggie let Alex sit and inhale the soft spring air. For the first time in years, she felt calm.

"I'm sorry. I've never-"

"It's okay, you don't have to explain anything."

There was a pause.

"So, Danvers, tell me about yourself." Maggie said, decidedly.

Alex just looked at her, caught off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"Well for a start, you know I'm a detective. What do you do?"

Alex looked down at her clasped hands. "I'm currently unemployed. I had one but... Circumstances changed."

Maggie said nothing, her silent eyes urging Alex to continue.

"I've been looking around but I can't seem to find anything I want to do."

"You'd make a great cop; I mean, I don't do well with partners, but I think we'd make a pretty good team." Maggie scoffed. "The boss has been trying to find me a partner for ages. I keep scaring them away."

At that, Alex laughed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a reason to laugh without scorn.

"What if I _could_ be your partner?"

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting, Danvers?"

Alex almost pulled back, almost changed her mind, but something about Maggie Sawyer made Alex want to take a leap.

"I get a job, your boss is happy because you get a partner, you get your boss off your back. I mean, I've worked in this field before. I can do it."

Alex wasn't quite ready to face the prospect of being a DEO agent, but maybe she could handle being a cop.  

"You know what?" Maggie gave Alex a small, sly smile. "That... just might work."

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! I am a terrible procrastinator.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it. :)

"It's not happening, Sawyer!"

"You've been trying to find me a partner for months. This would mean you could stop looking!"

Alex wasn't purposefully eavesdropping - but the walls of the station were paper thin and, sat outside the chief's office, his and Maggie's rising voices were hard to miss.

"I can't just make a random woman a cop - especially in the science division! What do you even know about her? Does she have qualifications? Who is she?"  
Alex shrunk lower into her seat as she attempted to avoid the scrutinising stares of people passing by.

"Look, she caught the thief we've been after for weeks. That shows that she's strong, she's fast, she has initiative and she cares for people. Plus, I can tolerate her. How many people have I been able to tolerate in my time working here?" Maggie retorted.

Alex flushed, and a deep sigh echoed from the room into the hallway.

"Sawyer, I don't know how many rules I'd be breaking." He sounded defeated, and Alex didn't blame him. Maggie was persistent.

"Please, just give her a chance, Sir. One chance."

There was a groan. "Fine. But a third of her pay comes out of your salary."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Do you want her or not?"

A pause, then- "Yeah. I do."

A moment later the door opened and Maggie strode out, a smile blooming.

"You're in, Danvers. Come on, I'll show you my office."

 

Alex sighed heavily, rocking back on her chair.

"If I'd have known being a cop involved so much paperwork, I never would have signed up for this."

Maggie snorted, shaking her head.

"Just be quiet and get it done." She said, trying - and failing - to mask her smile.

Alex took another glance at the sheet in front of her, and then peered at Maggie, who was sat opposite her, typing something onto a computer.

"Nope. I can't do it." She shrugged, letting the pen fall to the table with a clatter. "When are we actually going to get to do something, Sawyer?"

Maggie raised an eyebrow over the screen, and tilted her head.

"Calling me Sawyer, now?"

In response, Alex grinned knowingly. "Don't change the subject."

For a moment, Maggie held Alex's gaze, until the radio to the side of the desk crackled to life.

"Sawyer, do you copy?"

"I'm here."

"There's been an attack on a bank down on fifth street. Assailant has heat vision. Over."

"We're on our way."

"Infernian?" Alex questioned, as Maggie stood up and tugged open the top drawer of her desk.

"Probably." She looked up, passing Alex a gun, and then shrugged on her police jacket. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd worked in this field before, were you?"

Alex smiled briefly, but it was tinged with longing. Then, tucking her gun into her jeans, she followed Maggie out the door.

 

When they arrived, lights flashing and sirens screaming, the place was in chaos. A few cops were attempting to herd out scattered civilians, while the others had headed straight for the source of the havoc. As Alex had predicted, an Infernian was positioned at the centre of the building, surrounding herself in a cloak of flames and sending blazing heat towards anyone who got too close.

"What's she doing?" Alex yelled over the commotion.

"What do you mean?" Maggie replied in a similar tone, pushing against the crowd as they headed through the doorway of the building.

"I mean why's she here?"

"Why does it matter?"

They both ducked instinctively as a ball of fire spiralled their way.

"I think it's a distraction, Maggie!" Alex called, batting away the singed tips of her hair. "Look."

She pointed towards a small, obscured door behind the alien. It was almost invisible due to the thick layer of smoke masking the air, but Alex had caught sight of a figure moving, and, squinting, Maggie saw it too.

"You're right. They're probably robbing the bank and using the Infernian as protection." She muttered, frowning. "We need to get past her."

Just then, a loud crash resonated throughout the building, and Alex raised her arms to protect her head from the shower of rubble. As she looked up to see what had caused it, she froze.

Of course Kara would be there. Of course. Suddenly, she was hit with a sharp burst of reality, and the past three years flooded back. What was she playing at, being a cop? Avoiding the most important person in her life, for what purpose? So she could pretend to be someone she wasn't? So she could pretend none of it ever happened? That was impossible.

Maggie was too distracted internally planning out their route to the door to notice Alex's conflict as Supergirl descended. Her hands rested intimidatingly on her hips; a trait she had picked up from her sister, and she was glaring at their attacker.

"Alex." Maggie hissed, snapping her fingers in front of her face.

"We've got to go, while she's focused on Supergirl."

Supergirl. Kara Danvers. Alex's sister. Alex had to get out of here. She had to-

But Maggie was already off, crouching low as she sped towards the door, gun clutched between her hands.

Alex cursed. She couldn't leave her. So instead she followed her partner's path, keeping one eye on the fight between the two aliens, and when Supergirl used her freeze breath to entrap her opponent, Alex thought they would make it. What she didn't expect was the ice to melt away almost as quickly as it had engulfed the Infernian, and in a flash she realised that the attacker's eyes, blazing with fury, were now set on Maggie.  
Her training kicking in, Alex sped up and leapt forward, crashing into the woman and sending them both sprawling onto the floor as a smouldering ball of fire scorched the wall above them. She could almost feel Kara's eyes on them as they fell so, refusing to look round in fear that she would recognise her, Alex then pulled Maggie up and tugged her into the small entrance, slamming the door shut behind them.

Breathing heavily, Alex pulled out her weapon, curling her fingers around the trigger of the gun and raising it.

Making eye contact with Maggie, she gestured to the corner. Then, slowly, she crept towards it and peered round. At the very end of the corridor were two hellgrammites, loading blocks of gold from a vault out a window.

"Hellgrammites, I think." She whispered, her mind taking her back to the first time she had encountered the creature, and turned so she was facing the detective. "What do Hellgrammites want with gold?"

"With DDT banned, the supply's been depleting so it must be hard to get hold of it. Maybe it's expensive." Maggie answered, quietly. There was a pause. "You ready?"

Alex nodded.

"3... 2... 1..."

Then, they both leant around the corner and began to shoot.  
The two hellgrammites - who would have appeared human if it weren't for the skinless bottom half of their faces, exposing gums which oozed with blood and rows of teeth forming a twisted snarl - spun around in alarm. Then, their eyes boring into Alex and Maggie, they ran forwards. Covered by a wild spray of bullets, the partners moved from their corner position and began to back up, still shooting industriously.

At that moment a bullet embedded itself into the thigh of one of the Hellgrammites and he faltered, clutching at it. However, the second one continued forward at full speed and in almost no time, Alex felt her gun torn from her grip as she was thrown against the opposite wall. Her vision swam and sounds dulled as though she was under water, everything seeming to move in slow motion. Sluggishly, she pulled herself upwards. Maggie might have been calling her name, but before she could react, a hand closed around her throat and dragged her upwards. She coughed against the Hellgrammite's grip and refused to meet his leering gaze as he held up his other hand and a large spike burst through the skin. He grinned, menacingly, as he threw forward the hand, but the smile morphed into a look of confusion when Alex caught his wrist. Then, without giving him time to react, she twisted his hand round and pierced it into his neck, watching as the blood bubbled and he wavered, before collapsing in a heap on the floor. Coughing, Alex looked up to see Maggie dodge a spike and send the butt of her gun slamming down onto the second, injured Hellgrammite's head.

"You okay?" Alex asked, breathing heavily as she watched Maggie brush her hands over her jeans.

"Yeah." She looked up, and suddenly her eyes widened. "Ale-"

The sharp, searing pain in the side of her leg made Alex cry out as she plummeted to the floor; the impact only dissolved as Maggie surged forwards to catch her, and they sank to the ground together. The pain in her leg was too intense for her to notice Maggie raising her gun with one arm and putting a bullet through the third Hellgrammite's - who must have come in through the window - head. Instead, she gritted her teeth, taking sharp, laboured breaths as she examined the impaled spike.

"Not again." She mumbled.

Maggie's hands hovered over the wound uncertainly, before she tore the end of her T-shirt off and began to wrap it round each side of the weapon to staunch the flow of blood.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." She muttered, peering at Alex worriedly.

Alex nodded shakily. "It's okay."

"I'm going to get help, Danvers. Hang in there."

Carefully, she laid Alex against the wall, and took off towards the door leading into the main room. She entered just in time to watch the fight between Supergirl and the Infernian finish as the city's hero flew circles around the attacker, withering away the fire and - in doing so - draining her of her strength. With one final blow, she passed out.

Maggie wasn't a fan of the superhero in times of delicacy, but she had to admit that when dealing with aliens, she did know how to get the job done. She also knew that she was fast, and could fly Alex to a hospital in a matter of minutes.

"Supergirl!" She called out, drawing her attention almost immediately. While Maggie didn't like to ask for help - this was for Alex.

"Everything okay?" Her voice carried as she strode forward.

"My partner- she's hurt."

"Where is she?"

"Through here."

Maggie led her through the door, towards where she had left Alex.

  
Only now, Alex was gone.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys Sanvers are back next month and I am reADY!!
> 
> (PS you should probably note two things about this story, 1) Jeremiah did die after rescuing J'onn and 2) Maggie doesn't have a girlfriend)
> 
> (PPS I'm sure you will recognise the bar scene that happens in this chapter, lots of the conversation in there I didn't write myself!! It was just too good not to include somewhere)

When Alex woke, she was surprised to find her sleep had been dreamless. She wasn't surprised to find that her leg stung like hell.

After she'd stumbled back into her hotel room the previous evening, Alex had unwrapped the makeshift bandage and - placing her belt between her teeth - had wrenched the spike from the wound. Heaving short breaths, she'd dropped it to the side and had began to examine her leg. She let out a slow exhale of relief when she found that it hadn't torn any major blood vessels, and the poison hadn't progressed far at all. Then, she'd cleaned it the best she could using a makeshift solution of disinfectants she'd found in the bathroom, and had tied it tightly, again, with the hem of Maggie's t-shirt. Alex worked methodically, almost as though she was detached from her own body - but she couldn't escape one nagging thought. 

She hoped Maggie would forgive her for leaving.  

The next morning Alex took the wad of money she'd tucked between the bed frame and the wall and headed into town to buy some new clothes. While she didn't want to waste it, the outfit she had worn the previous day was stained and crusted with blood, and she didn't want to risk heading back to her apartment in case Kara was there. After buying enough to make do for a while - along with some real medical equipment - she headed back to the hotel, changed quickly, redressed her leg and dropped the bags off in her room. Her injury had turned into a constant throbbing ache, but she was used to dealing with pain by now and, as she walked through the city towards the precinct, it was the last thing on her mind. She couldn't escape the nerves at the thought of returning to the station - to Maggie - after she had left so suddenly.

She hadn't had a choice. She knew it was only a matter of time before Supergirl had showed up to help her, and she didn't know what either of them would've done if that had happened. So instead, she'd used the wall to drag herself towards the window and through it - landing on the pavement with her arms braced against her head - and soon blended into the crowds of chaos surrounding the bank.

As she strode in through the entrance of the station, flashing her badge towards the reception, she felt her mouth dry. What would she tell her? Sorry Maggie, I was just avoiding my superhero sister because she thinks I'm dead?

While the halls had stretched before, now she felt as though she had arrived in front of Maggie's office in seconds. She considered hanging back for a moment but the door was ajar and, after peering inside, she felt a small smile tug at her lips as she took in the sight in front of her. Maggie was typing furiously at the computer, her brow furrowed and her gazed fixed on the screen as she jabbed the delete button repeatedly.

"Oh, for f-"

"Having some trouble there?" Alex smirked, leaning against the door frame.

Maggie's head whipped up, her eyes losing none of their ferocity as she took in the woman standing before her.

"Danvers?" She stood up abruptly. "Where the hell were you?"

"I, uh, left." Alex muttered, her stance slumping under the intensity of Maggie's gaze.

"Well, clearly." She crossed her arms. "You can't just disappear on me like that."

Maggie's eyes trailed down to Alex's leg, and she sighed, her face softening. "How's your leg?"

Alex looked down in surprise. "It's okay. I, um, cleaned it and then wrapped it back up. It doesn't hurt too bad."

"Let me take a look."

"Oh, you don't need t-"

"Shut up and sit down, Danvers."

Alex was taken aback by the sudden rush of warmth through her stomach as she perched on a chair, rolling her jeans up past the bandage. Maggie knelt down and tentatively brushed her fingers over it; her eyes betraying almost no emotion. Almost. She chucked slightly, but the laugh was worn.

"You did a good job."

"I know." Alex shrugged, bending her leg as she pulled the trouser back down.

Maggie stayed still for a split moment longer, before standing up and taking hold of a thick stack of papers. She turned round to face Alex with a small smile.

"Now, I know how much you love paperwork..."

 

They stayed until it was way past dark and - to Alex's disbelief - Maggie was the first person to push her forms to the side.

"I think we've filled out enough paperwork, don't you?"

Alex nodded tiredly, before draining the last of her coffee and sending the cup hurtling into the bin.

"How about a drink?" Alex couldn't remember the last time she'd had a drink. "It's on me."

She knew she should go back to the hotel. This could go bad, fast, if Maggie started prying for answers. Saying no would be the smart thing to do. Instead, she found herself nodding her head.

 

Hidden by walls cloaked in graffiti, the bar was musty and the lighting low, but Alex found herself relaxing as she followed Maggie towards a table. The place wasn't rowdy, like she remembered bars to be. Instead, she felt almost at home amongst the sound of music playing, and the bitter, yet warm smell of alcohol. The bartender even smiled at her.

As they sat, Maggie called over to a passing waitress.

"Two beers, Darla."

"Comin' up, Mags."

Maggie looked up as she took her jacket off, placing it over the back of her chair. "You do like beer, don't you Danvers?"

Alex found herself nodding. "Yeah, I di- do. I do."

A few moments later, the waitress was back, placing the bottles down and looking Alex up and down as she did.

"You moved on quick." Her voice tinged with reluctant acceptance, she strode away without giving Maggie a second glance. Alex, however, turned to watch her leave.

"That waitress, is she a Roltikkon?"

 "Yes, she is."

"I've read Roltikkon can make telepathic connections by making physical contact with the dorsum of the tongue." 

"How do you think she learned English?" Maggie tilted her head. "She's my ex."

"Oh!" Alex let out a small exclamation of surprise. She wasn't expecting that. Not that she'd been thinking about it. Had she been thinking about it?

"I don't strictly date aliens for the record, though, I do like them more than most humans." Maggie picked up the tip of her bottle, spinning it absentmindedly beneath her fingertips.

Alex settled back further into her chair. "Why?"

"I can relate to them, I guess, growing up a non-white, non-straight girl in Blue Springs Nebraska... I might as well have been from Mars. I was an outcast, and I felt like it. Our alien neighbours, they're no different. Most of them are hard-working immigrants or refugees just trying to get by, and they have to hide who they are in order to survive. I can sympathise with that."

Alex turned her gaze away from Maggie and towards the rest of the room; noticing things now that she hadn't picked up on before. Green, clawed hands raising a class, eyelids flitting in from the sides.

"So this is an-"

"Alien safe haven, pretty much, yeah." Maggie finished, before leaning forwards ever so slightly. "But enough about me and this place. I want to hear about you, Danvers. I feel like I know nothing about you."

Alex shrugged awkwardly, lifting her bottle to her lips. "There's not much to know."

Maggie sighed, almost exasperatedly, but it was exaggerated and Alex could tell she was teasing her. "Where do you live? Any family here? Any deep, dark secrets I should know about?"

Alex let out a short laugh, but gripped the bottle a little tighter. "I'm currently staying at a hotel, a cheap one, till I find a place. Family..." She didn't want to lie, not completely. "Family's complicated."

"Trust me, I get that." For a moment, Maggie seemed distant, but then she shook her head. "But you're staying in a hotel?"

"Yeah. I used to live here but... I've been away for a while."

"You could always stay with me." Her voice had gotten quieter, and Alex almost wasn't sure if she'd heard her correctly.

"With you?"

"Yeah. Until you find a place, it'll save you some money. I have a perfectly comfortable sofa." Alex just stared at her for a moment, unsure how to react. It had been so long since anyone had wanted to help her. "I mean, we're partners anyway, so why not?"

"I don't want to intrude..." She trailed off when she saw the look on Maggie's face.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't have offered if you were." Maggie stood up with a dimpled smile. "Shall we get going?"

 

After dropping by the hotel so Alex could pick up her bags and hand her key in, they soon arrived at Maggie's apartment. The living room was small but cosy, with a sofa, a round glass table, and a TV. The kitchen lay in a slightly raised area towards the back of the living room. The place was made homely by the soft rugs, and the tiny trees decorating each surface.

"I take it you like Bonsai trees?" Alex grinned, breaking the silence. Maggie turned to her with a wide smile, before gesturing down the hallway to the side.

"My bedroom and the bathroom are just down there." She said. "I'll just go grab you a couple of blankets. Feel free to use the bathroom."

Alex stood for a moment first, taking it all in. She was almost afraid that if she made any sudden movements, it would all go wrong. She knew she couldn't be still forever, though, and a few minutes later she took a few steps forward and began to rummage through her bag.

Maybe things were starting to get better.

20 minutes later, after showering and changing, Alex took the pile of blankets Maggie had swamped herself in and lay down on the sofa.

"Thank you."

"Sleep well, Danvers."

Burrowing down further under the covers, Alex shut her eyes and soon, she was fast asleep.

_Alex's head snapped to the side as the man backhanded her cheek again and she spat blood onto the floor, before turning to look Lillian Luthor in the eyes._

_"Can't even do your own dirty work?" She taunted, breathing raggedly._

_Another hit. Her entire face stung, and Alex could feel the bruises rising. Blood trickled down from her nose and over her lips, her mouth tasting metallic. Lillian just laughed._

_"You won't tell us about your sister? That's okay. We don't need you to." She smiled, as if the situation was amusing. "Bring him in."_

_Alex knew what it was almost immediately. Though her vision was blurred by swollen eyelids, the creature that stood before her was dauntingly recognisable. He was huge, but it wasn't his size that scared Alex. It was his powers - and one in particular._

_She recoiled as soon as he began clawing at her mind, trying to see her thoughts and memories for himself. He didn't move from where he was standing, but he didn't need to, for Alex could feel herself wearing down. She tried to build a wall to keep him out, brick by brick, but with each brick her arms burnt more and more until it felt like she was in engulfed in flames._

_Then, she screamed._

Alex shot up, gasping for breath, her hands were balled into fists around the blankets.

"Are you okay?" Alex spun around in alarm, her body in defense mode. Maggie was standing only a few metres away, her eyes wide in confusion and her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"I - a nightmare." She could barely choke the words out.

Maggie moved closer. "Do you want to talk-"

"No. No, Maggie, just go to bed." Alex couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Alex-"

"I'll see you in the morning." Alex shifted so she was lying down again, and after a few moments of silence, she heard quiet footsteps as Maggie retreated.

 _Stupid._ Alex muttered under her breath. _Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

She didn't sleep again that night.


End file.
